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EU BETRAYED as Putin and Hungary deepen ties with nuclear deal: ‘Russia’s vassal state!’

HUNGARY has broken EU ranks once again after announcing that Russia will begin constructing two new nuclear power plants in the country.

By Antony Ashkenaz

13:15, Sat, Aug 27, 2022 | UPDATED: 13:16, Sat, Aug 27, 2022

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Hungary’s foreign minister announced that Rosatom, Russia’s state-backed nuclear energy company, will begin construction work on two new nuclear reactors in the coming weeks, Hungary, an EU member, struck a deal with Russia in 2014 in a bid to expand its existing Paks nuclear plant. Despite Vladimir Putin’s bloody invasion of Ukraine, the EU has not sanctioned Russia’s nuclear industry.

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Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has maintained a strong relationship with Putin and has said that Hungary will stay out of the war happening in its neighbouring country Ukraine.

The country has expressed a lot of resistance to the EU’s plans to sanction Russian oil and gas exports.

• Last year, Hungary signed a 15-year agreement with Russia to buy 4.5 billion cubic metres a year.

Earlier this week, Orban was awarded for his close ties to Putin, as Hungary announced that it will receive additional gas supplies from Russia after a trade agreement was negotiated last month.

EU BETRAYED as Putin and Hungary deepen ties with nuclear deal: ‘Russia’s vassal state!’ (Image: Getty)

Russia will build two new reactors at Hungary’s PAKS station (Image: Akos Stiller/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

A Hungarian ministry official has said that the Russian state-owned gas company Gazprom has started to deliver more gas to Hungary than it was contractually obligated to.

• By the end of August, Russia will be supplying Hungary with an additional 2.6 million cubic metres a day.

Under the nuclear deal, Russia will build two new nuclear reactors at the Pax site, which generates 40 percent of Hungary’s electricity.

Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto wrote in a Facebook post: “Let the construction begin!”

Once completed, the nuclear power station, which currently has four Soviet-built reactors, will see its capacity more than double thanks to the two new reactors.

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